OK, I’ve finally started it–it’s 124 pages. But its “Executive Summary,” at page 5 (pdf page 7), seems to support the bad apple theory, calling the acts in question at Abu Ghraib “brutality and purposeless sadism.” It says further that the “pictured abuses . . . were not part of authorized interrogations nor were they even directed at intelligence targets.” Ibid. It concludes that “[t]here is no evidence of a policy of abuse promulgated by senior officials or military authorities,” while acknowledging that “[t]here is both institutional and personal responsibility at higher levels.” Ibid.
It does say, though, that the investigation-reviewing “Panel did not have full access to information involving the role of the Central Intelligence Agency in detention operations; this is an area the Panel believes needs further investigation and review.” At page 6 (pdf page 8). I think I’m fairly safe in saying that it may be that the CIA would not behave very co-operatively in such an investigation.
Again with the bad apple theory:
The report says that “[a]lthough the most egregious instances of detainee abuse were caused by the aberrant behavior of a limited number of soldiers,” failures of the relevant noncoms, along with failures of COs and their staffs, also contributed to the events in question. At page 43 (pdf page 46).
And again, “The Panel finds no evidence that organizations above the 800th MP Brigade- or the 205th MI Brigade-level were directly involved in the incidents at Abu Ghraib.” Ibid.
I’ve only read to page 43, but so far, to the extent that General Miller is characterized at all, he is suggestively depicted as merely an overzealous person, and almost everyone else is portrayed as being more or less dazed and confused, except for those sadistic bad apples. That’s the extent of it so far.
Well, back to my fascinating holiday reading.
A little warning to anyone who wants to read this thing: I don’t know the right computer terminology, but it’s apparently done in some kind of graphics format rather than a text format. In other words, at least as far as I can tell, I couldn’t use Adobe’s “Find” function, and I couldn’t cut and paste text using Adobe’s “Text Select Tool.” But who knows, maybe I’m just doing it wrong. I’m reading the copy at GlobalSecurity.org, which appears to be identical in format to the one at Findlaw.com.
One good thing about it: there’s lots of blank pages! 
One more thing:
[quote=“TainanCowboy”]Just to bring things into a sharper focus.
Lets review what [i]real torture[/i], as was used by Saddam Hussein.[/quote]
Yes, perspective is important in this matter–a perspective that involves Saddam’s regime on the one hand, and on the other hand, the realities of war, which include intense violence, intense pressure, mad confusion, and in the middle of all that, efforts to keep good order among large numbers of people. I suppose it’s kind of like trying to build a big, complicated chicken coop in the middle of a hurricane.
[/quote]
But since blaming the junior person is not news to me, I can’t raise much of a sweat over it.
